Milton Select Board Unanimously Backs $12.5 Million Regional Dispatch Grant With Quincy

MILTON — April 14, 2026 — Milton Select Board approves $12.5 million regional dispatch grant application with Quincy. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize the grant application and an inter-municipal agreement with the city of Quincy for a joint public safety dispatch center, with Town Administrator Nick Milano describing the package as roughly $11 million in equipment and infrastructure upgrades plus salary funding, anchored by a $2.9 million Motorola radio infrastructure grant. Fire Chief John Madden called the arrangement a "no-brainer" for a department that has operated without a real dispatch system since the 1970s, and said a standalone contract with Norfolk County Control would cost $250,000 to $300,000 annually. Outgoing member Richard Wells, a former member of the state's interoperability committee, cautioned that long-term costs could rise if state operating support grants — projected at $2.4 million annually in year five — shrink as more regional centers compete for the same pool. Milton may exit the agreement with 60 days' notice at any point, including before the center takes a live call. The board also voted unanimously to release the East Milton Fire Station 2 RFP and, sitting as trustees of the Governor Stoughton Trust, withdrew the Town Farm RFP after the sole respondent could not commit to funding road infrastructure improvements directly.